Is Adult Coloring for You?

Do you love to color? It’s ok to admit it! Adults have their own coloring books now, and they may be therapeutic. Some studies show that coloring helps to relieve stress and anxiety and even produces positive changes in heart rates and brain waves. Could coloring help you deal with routine daily pressures? Before you break out the crayons or colored pencils, find out more about this growing hobby.

Benefits of Adult Coloring:

Promote mindfulness. Coloring can help you to put aside regrets about the past and concerns about the future as you focus on what you’re doing in the present moment. In that sense, it does have positive effects similar to meditation. For those who have a hard time staying focused, you may be pleasantly surprised how captivated you become when you tap into your creative power.

Find balance. Any offline hobby that allows you to take a break from technology is a bonus these days. Studies show that checking social media or phone messages too frequently contributes to anxiety. Besides… who does not love that first waft of that signature crayon smell as you open a fresh box?

Enjoy flexibility. Compared to other hobbies, coloring is inexpensive and portable. You can do it waiting at the airport or sitting in a coffee shop. Try pencils, try crayons, try felt pens. Mix it up. Have fun.

Start small. Another major advantage to coloring is that it requires no significant skills to succeed. If you felt like an underachiever in high school art classes, you can still color between the lines. And who is to say that you have to stay in the lines? Let yourself go!

How to Make Coloring Therapeutic:

Look for patterns.Repetition, pattern, and detail seem to be the key elements. Studies show that coloring mandalas and geometric shapes is more soothing than working on unstructured designs. Delight yourself by focusing on patterns and watching your work come alive.

Share your work. Add a social aspect. Frame your favorite masterpieces and put them on display for friends to see. Post images and comments on social media. Make a photo collage of your work. Host a coloring contest. Throw a party or color side-by-side with your children.

Have fun. However you color, think of it as playtime. Let go of expectations and enjoy the process. Go Crazy with color, let your imagination run wild!

Additional Tips:

Consider art therapy. If you’re dealing with serious issues, art therapy may provide more relief than just coloring. Allow you subconscious to surface through the colors and images your choose. It can be very therapeutic for you to interact with a trained counselor as you make your own original works.

Express yourself. Of course, trauma isn’t the only reason for creating art. You can learn more about yourself and communicate with others through drawing, painting, and other methods. Let the world see the real you.

Continue your education. You may be more creative than you think. Sign up for a sculpture class or join a Meetup group where you can share feedback with other budding artists. Check the event listings at your local museum for lectures and hands-on activities. Nurture your inner artist as you would a child and notice how your mood and your world opens to new possibility.

Practice meditation. If you use coloring to promote mindfulness, you might want to deepen your experience with other forms of meditation. Try sitting for a brief period each day and working your way up to longer sessions. Carve out time in your busy schedule to cultivate your creativity.

Remember your childhood.Coloring seems to be especially effective with adults who previously enjoyed it as children. Maybe there are other youthful pastimes you want to revive like playing piano or baking cookies. Who is to say that you cannot enjoy these activities again?

Coloring is an inexpensive and easy hobby that can help you relax. Whether you stick with putting the finishing touches on someone else’s designs or move on to creating your own works, you can use art to increase your mindfulness and find more peace. It will give you not only a sense of relaxation and peace but also a great sense of accomplishment when you finish a piece you put a lot of attention into.

I love coloring and I invite you to try it out for yourself. I often assign coloring mandala’s for each of the seven chakra’s as an exercise to my energy healing clients and students. The focused attention helps us clear and release negative energies and raise our self awareness. If I can help you harness your creativity or tap into your divine power please do not hesitate to call upon me for assistance.